"Where should we go?" Sora asked from behind Umber, who was clacking his claws excitedly on the ground. He felt kind of nervous.

"We could travel the marketplace and have some lunch maybe?" Winter suggested.

"Sure! Sound good with you guys?" Qibli asked, turning towards the two MudWings.

"Of course," Umber nodded rapidly, smiling, his claws tapping on the ground rhythmically.

"Umber, don't be so anxious!" Moonwatcher tutted, laughing. "You're our friend. You know us. Both of you, don't be afraid anymore, please? Just enjoy yourselves!"

The others nodded eagerly, agreeing and officially welcoming both MudWings into the Jade Winglet.

Umber smiled, and he could feel Sora beaming next to him. He felt the anxiousness slowly ebb away, running through him like water carving up stone as it left him to join the sea. It was soon replaced with excitement. 

"I really want to explore the town!" He chirped, bounding over to Clay and Peril, ushering Sora with his tail.

"Let's go then!" The Bigwings grinned, leading the way to the velvet curtain.

Once outside, Clay spread his wings and lifted off with a single flap.

The others followed and soon, all of them had landed in central Sanctuary, greeting shoppers and stall owners with smiles and waves and friendly calls. 

Umber could feel his heart bursting with happiness and acceptance. After so many moons being in hiding, with malice and violence lurking around every threatening corner, it was so wonderful to be able to just bask in the moment, without a single worry in the world.

Well...

Almost without a single worry.

The MudWing glanced at Qibli from the corner of his eye. The rich yellow SandWing was so charming, it was like he had swept Umber off his feet.

He was captivating, how he would crack jokes just to make everyone smile; like he needed to make others happy in order to know that he still had friends, like their laughter was assurance that the SandWing wasn't alone.

Sympathy beat alongside Umber's heart. What a sad thought. Why was Umber thinking this?

Oh no, was he blushing? Yep, he could feel heat in his scaly cheeks. Uh oh.

Sora trotted up next to him and brushed him with her wing, giggling. "Ooooh, staring at your crush, lil bro?" She whispered, not helping.

"Shhh," Umber hissed, stepping back.

"Wanna go hunting with me, Umber?" Qibli asked, extending his wing like an offering.

Beat.

"Yes, thanks!" Umber nodded, equally excited and terrified.

Beat. Beat.

His heart was speeding up. 

Umber knew what this was about. He knew Qibli had read the letter. All of it. This was it.

"We'll meet you at the Hall in an hour," Qibli told the others.

"Good luck," Sora whispered, and Umber shuddered. He could hear the smirk in his mischievous sister's voice.

Qibli took flight. Umber followed, trying to distract himself with literally anything else, like the marketers or his wingbeats.

It wasn't long before the two reached the outskirts of the town, and Qibli gracefully dove, snatching a startled goat from the ground and killing it swiftly.

Umber followed suit, stabbing his claws into a nearby roaming cow. Its guttural moo was ended quickly.

Qibli landed on a platform in the trees, not unlike the ones Umber had seen in the rainforest.

"Come up," Qibli patted next to him on the platform, and Umber descended with his kill.

The sun filtered through the leaves, warming both dragons, thought Umber was already being warmed by the SandWing's natural heat scales and his own embarrassment.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Qibli asked after finishing his goat.

Umber inhaled and exhaled, swallowing his bite of cow. He tapped his claws on the platform rhythmically, anxious.

Stick to the plan.

"I wanted to tell you something," the MudWing forced out in a barely-audible breath.

Qibli raised a scaly brow, no doubt curious as to why Umber was acting so scared.

Umber's eyes flitted around, taking in the landscape. Even though they were on the edge o Sanctuary, he could see buildings and scavenger forts littering the ground, like sticks in the marsh. There was the sound of every animal: chirps, scurries, buzzes and caws. None of them compared to the sound of Umber's heart beating in his own ears.

"What did you want to tell me?" Qibli asked, his sentence tantalisingly slow.

Stick to the plan.

"IthinkIlikeyou," Umber said in one breath, much louder than he wanted.

Immediately he cringed and stared down at his cow, worrying at the planks on the platform.

Qibli blinked, as if he didn't know how to react or what to say. He was quiet for a few moments, gathering his thoughts. "What do you mean by 'like'?" The SandWing responded instead.

"As in..." Umber inhaled, then blurted it out. "I can't stop thinking about you, and you make me nervous. Everywhere I go I unconsciously search for you. I want to be there for you and I want to be more than your friend. I want to be the reason for your laughter, I want to make you smile every day. I want to live knowing that I make every second of your day brighter just by being with you. I think this is more than a crush," he added, realising it for himself. "Qibli, I'm so sorry, but... I think I love you?"

Umber breathed in and held the breath, before slowly closing his mouth. He hadn't meant to ramble; the words had just come pouring out of him.

Qibli stared back at him, stunned.

Umber realised he had made a horrible mistake.

"Moons," he muttered, utterly mortified. "Oh, no, I'm so so sorry."

"Don't be," Qibli replied, catching his talon. The SandWing regarded him warmly. "I'm just trying to figure out how I feel. I think... I might like you too?"

Umber beamed, and his heart felt like exploding.

"I mean, when Winter and Moon became a couple, it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. I mean, my affection towards Moon..." the SandWing shrugged. "I think it was more obsessive? Like, I was tricking myself into thinking I liked her? But I don't think I did, or do. I think I like you too."

Umber was so happy, the desire of his dreams had just reciprocated his feelings and now –
"Like?" The MudWing blurted in an echo, eyebrows arching upwards in forlornness. "Do you need more time, Qibli? I think I confessed too fast, I mean I know you probably didn't give me much thought during the whole Darkstalker fiasco and –"

"What?" Qibli blinked, mouth agape. "No! That's not it at all!" He clasped Umber's paws in his, looking at him with genuine care.
"Umber, when you left Jade Mountain I couldn't stop thinking about you. I was in awe of your bravery and your courage – you were leaving behind everything you had known again, to keep your sister safe. I tried distracting myself with the task at talon, but every night I wondered where you were... if you were safe."

Umber stared bewilderedly at his crush, wondering if he was hearing him right. "You were?"

Qibli smiled. "Of course I was." He looked down for a few moments, then back at Umber. "I don't know how it's possible, but I think our time away from each other has only... grown our feelings. Umber, I think I love you too."

Umber's vision blurred and happy tears trickled down his scales, and Qibli wrapped his wings around him.

In the dome of the SandWings comforting warmth, Umber flung his arms around the taller dragon, feeling happier than he had in a long, long time.

"Things are going to be different from now on, Umber," Qibli whispered, hugging him tighter.
"You're not alone anymore."

Umber pressed his muzzle against Qibli, the latter happily returning the kiss.

Qibli pulled away after a bit and soothingly rubbed the side of Umber's face with a claw. 

"So I guess we're boyfriends now?" Umber asked, nervously.

Qibli laughed. "I guess we are. And I'm so happy for that."

Umber basked in the SandWing's warmth. His laughter sounded like the most joyful noise the MudWing had ever heard, and he swore an oath that he'd strive to make sure Qibli laughed every day.

Qibli gave him another peck on the nose and spread his wings. "Let's go tell the others the great news," he suggested.

Umber nodded. "I'd like that," he smiled.

And when they took flight, they relished each other's company – bumping wings, brushing against each other freely. Now that they had each other, the world seemed brighter.